Follow the Flashlight

On a moonlit night in the middle of winter Tom and I took a walk on a snow-covered path. No, it wasn't a romantic stroll. We weren't even dating at the time. We were friends attending the same retreat weekend for young adults and we took up the challenge made by the speaker at the last session for the evening.

The speaker had talked about the Word of God as the light that guides our lives and how most of the time God will only show us one step of our path at a time. He challenged us to take a walk at night with a flashlight and notice how the beam only shows a few steps worth of path at a time. So, Tom grabbed a flashlight and inivited me to head outside with him and test it out.

We didn't realize that God was speaking prophetically to us as we took that walk, not knowing that we would spend the rest of our lives together. The visual image of the speaker's talk has stayed with us because of it and been a reference point throughout our thirty years of marriage as we have faced times of uncertainty. Over and over, by His Word and His Spirit, God has confirmed the next step in our path, but only the next step. We have learned to trust that initial step to send us in the right direction for the next leg of our YES adventure with God.

Where is God''s flashlight directing you today? You may be holding back because you can't see the whole path. Don't miss it! That one step may require more faith than you think you have, but your YES to that step is really is all you need.

Key thought: God reveals my path one step at a time.

A Scripture to Consider: Psalm 119:105 TLB

"Your words are a flashlight to light the path ahead of me and keep me from stumbling."

A YES Challenge: Where is God directing your next step?

Prayer:
Father, I see that next step. I'm afraid to take it because I really want to know where it's going to lead me. It's really ncomfortable not to know where I am going, but I'm going to give you my YES anyway, even though I don't understand. I choose to trust Your Word to lead me and keep me from stumbling. Amen. 

Why? What If It Isn't Really About You?

"Why?"

"Why did this happen to me?"

"Why didn't You stop it, God? 

"Why are You allowing this pain?" 

"Don't You love me?"

Maybe you've felt that way. Maybe you are feeling that way right now. The pain. The questions. The confusion. How do we make sense of life, when "Why?" is the question we most want an answer to and there don't seem to be any answers on the horizon?

Years ago, I was in a "why?" situation. In the midst of the pain, all I wanted was relief. It seemed like the best way to find relief was to change location, to change churches, to go somewhere else. But there was a gnawing within. I knew that God had not released me. He wanted me to stay where I was. "Why?" yelled even louder inside of me. But when you are sure of what God is saying,  even if it isn't what you want, there really is no other choice. I stayed.

As with many such situations, over time the pain receded. I felt God's presence walking through it with me, even though the situation didn't change and I didn't understand why. There was some healing and life found a new "normal" balance. It didn't happen quickly, but it did happen.

Eventually, I could talk about it without feeling the bruise. It was in one of those conversations when a friend told me that if I had left in the middle of that situation, she would have gone as well. It had never occurred to me that my reaction to my pain could help or hurt someone else. As my friend shared, it was obvious that my decision not to escape, to obey God and stay without knowing why, had helped her. It had minimized her pain.

My dear friend, I don't know what is causing you pain at this moment, but I can assure you that God is in the middle of it with you. He may answer your "why?" some day and He may not.  Regardless, of that, how you respond now makes more difference than you will know. What if it isn't really about you?

Key Thought: God's ever-present love gets me through everything.

A Scripture to Consider: Romans 8:35-37

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

A YES challenge: How can you rely on God's love in the middle of your pain?

Prayer:
Lord, "Why?" is the question I most want to ask, but I know that You may not give me the answer. Please help me to remember that Your love for me is not always expressed by making my life easier. Help me to remember that Your love is expressed through Your presence in my life regardless of circumstances. Help me get to the other side of this pain. Thank You for Your unfailing love! Amen. 

Give God Your YES When You Don't Understand.

I left the pastor's office in tears. A place that had represented hope and encouragement was, at that moment, a place of tremendous pain. A position lost. Our hopes and dreams seemed lost. The future? Unclear and seemingly lost. What was going to happen next? 

"God, what are You doing?!"

You've been there, too. It may not have been your pastor's office, but you have been in that place where everything seemed lost and the future was a dense fog. Comfort was ripped away.  What about God's promise for your life? Did He really have one? How was anything ever going to be right again? 

"What in the world am I supposed to do NOW?"

Those are the moments when YES seems like a bigger risk than ever. You feel like you are taking a step out onto nothing but air. It does seems that way. But I can guarantee you, having taken that step myself, that when you give God your YES at the moment when you least understand, you will find a bridge to the future beneath your feet. It may seem to appear step by step, but it will be there. With every step. With every YES. YES by YES.

Perhaps you are in the fog at this very moment. It's going to be okay. It really is. You can trust God with your future. Go ahead and give Him your YES right now, even though you don't understand at all. Take a step out into air. I promise you there will be something under your feet and you will make it to the other side. I did and you will, too. 

Key thought: Give God your YES when you don't understand.

A Scripture to consider: Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do,  and he will show you which path to take.

A YES challenge: How is God asking you to trust Him even though you don't understand?

Prayer: 

God, this is not the way I hoped things would turn out. This is nothing like I envisioned and I don't have any idea what is going to happen next. What are You doing? Why did You let this happen? What do I do now? In the midst of this confusion,  I choose to trust You with my questions. Whatever happens I believe that somehow You are going to work it out for good in my life. I am Yours. Amen. 

The YES Adventure is a LOVE Adventure

Sharon was my first pastor's wife and the first woman I looked up to as a mentor. I wanted to be just like her! Sharon was a Georgia peach, a Southern belle who hadn't let years of living in New York State steal her Southern charm or her Southern drawl. But most important, Sharon loved her Jesus.

She was an excellent Bible teacher. The women of our church were more blessed than they realized as they sat under Sharon's wisdom and insight. (The men never got to benefit from Sharon's teaching as this church did not allow women in the Sunday pulpit.) From what I understand, there were times when Sharon used almost no notes as she taught. Her impact came from sharing what was obviously so real to her. It wasn't just knowledge. It was her life. It's taken me years to be able to articulate that. I still want to be just like her.

There is one thing Sharon said in a teaching that I have never forgotten. She said, "Love the people Jesus loves." Love the people Jesus loves? Who does Jesus love? Well....you know...EVERYONE! That's a fact that we often quote, but the illustration Sharon used was about God moving them from their home in Georgia to New York and then calling them to start a church in this unfamiliar place with an unfamiliar brand of people. "Love the people Jesus loves."

Who does Jesus love? That annoying co-worker. Your bratty neighbor's kid. The lady in church who sings too loud and wears too much perfume. The grocery clerk who is so busy talking to his co-worker that he barely pays attention to you and almost overcharges you. That person driving ON YOUR TAIL with their headlights in your rearview.

Who does Jesus love? The drug addict in your neighborhood. The homosexual couple across the street. The young lady with tattoos and multiple piercings and a foul mouth. Need I go on?

Love the people Jesus loves. When I said YES to Jesus, I said yes to loving the people He loves and that is an amazing part of this adventure. Because when I love the people Jesus loves I get to witness transformed lives. Sometimes the life that is most transformed...is mine.

Key thought: Love the people Jesus loves.

A Scripture to consider: 1 John 4:19-21

"We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister."

A YES challenge: Who is God calling you to love today?

Prayer: 
Dear Lord, this is hard. Loving the people you love is something that I can't do in my own power. I need you to help me I need you to put your love in my. The fruit of Your Spirit is love. Fill me with Your Spirit today so that I can join you in the loving. Help me to love others in Your name. Help me to love the people You love. Amen.

But What If....???

I know. I've been there, too. On the one hand, you have this deep knowing that God is calling you to do something. A burning inside even. A compelling push. On the other hand, you are pursued by the nagging "what if's".

What if I don't succeed? 

What if someone I love disagrees with me? 

What if it's harder than I think? 

What if it wasn't really God to begin with?

All those "what if's" get louder and louder, threatening to overpower what you know is the voice of God calling you forward.  Compelling you onward. 

So, which voice do you listen to?

Although, you may think you are being rational and reasonable as you begin to entertain your "what if's" don't invite them in for tea. Don't allow them to make themselves comfortable. Underneath the mask of reason and respectability, hides one of your most vicious enemies, FEAR. 

Fear of failure.

Fear of rejection.

Fear of weakness.

Fear of humiliation.

Fear will often masquerade as a friend enticing us to reason with God. Encouraging us to give up pursuing the call within. Convincing us that the effort just won't be worth what it will cost us. It all makes sense except for one thing: How could it make sense to disobey the call of God?

When I finally realized that God had called ME to ministry, not just to be married to a minister, not just to support ministry, but to actually pursue ministry credentials, my "what ifs" began to crescendo rivaling the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. "IS THIS REALLY GOD??? SHOULD I REALLY DO THIS? IS THIS GOING TO BE WORTH IT?"

I finally recognized the voice of Fear as a lying enemy, not a truthful friend. I realized that Fear was trying to convince me that the risk of following what I knew to be the call of God was not worth what it was going to cost me. Fear wanted to convince me to stay put, stop pursuing. What Fear really wanted me to do was to disobey God, and I decided that I didn't want fear to be the reason that I didn't try. I didn't want fear to be the reason that I didn't do what I knew God was calling me to do.

There is a saying attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt: "Do one thing every day that scares you." Not long after I had come to the conclusion that I would not allow fear to prevent me from pursuing God's call, I visited Valkill, Eleanor Roosevelt's home, and purchased a refrigerator magnet with that saying on it. Every time I see it I am reminded "I don't want fear to be the reason I don't do something." And so my YES adventure, my journey of obedience, continues.

How about you?

Key Thought: Don't let fear be the reason you don't obey God's call.

A Scripture to consider: Psalm 23:4

"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil,  for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

A YES challenge: How is Fear trying to keep you from obeying God?

Prayer:
Dear Father, I don't want Fear to be the reason I disobey Your call. I am aware of my "what ifs" but I don't want them to drown out Your voice. I love You, Lord. My greatest desire is to follow You whole-heartedly. I choose to listen to Your voice. I choose to obey You regardless of the cost. The safest place for me is in the center of Your will. I will trust Your presence, Your correction and Your comfort. In Jesus' Name. Amen. 

How To Walk on the Water

What is one thing you would step out and do if you were absolutely sure that God was in it? Very likely it is something you feel is outside your realm of ability. There is probably some measure of risk in it. Maybe there would even be some opposition to you doing it. It could involve healing a broken relationship or it could be a business venture or a place of ministry. Perhaps it involves building a relationship with someone who desperately needs to hear the Good News about Jesus.

Whatever that thing is for you, you can recognize it by the fact that it keeps coming back to your mind. You can't shake it. You know you are supposed to do something about it, but you don't feel like you can do it, so you have done nothing.

I want to encourage you, my friend: It's time to walk on the water!

To walk on the water is to overcome fear and doubt and to step out, in spite of what you see going on around you. In spite of what you see as limitations. In spite of everything inside you that says "I can’t" you step out and say “With God’s power I can.”

Easier said than done, right? Absolutely! I know it very well. I really have "been there" and I really have "done that." I have had to face the nagging feeling that God was asking me to do something that I felt completely powerless to accomplish. But, like the apostle Peter, I have learned to say, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you walking on the water." And then...somehow....I've learned to step out of the boat.

So now the question is “How?” How do I get to the place where I can step out and do it?

First, I have to give up the safety of the boat and take the risk. If I really believe that Jesus is calling me out, then I have to trust Him to give me the ability to do what He's asking, even if I don't feel I can. Isn't that what Peter did? To walk on the water is to do the thing I could not possibly do without God's power.

Second,  I have to recognize that the power of God is outside the boat. He asks you and me to do things we couldn't do without Him. When I step out, I am choosing to trust in God's power instead of my own. Isn't that worth the risk?

Third, I need to listen for the voice of Jesus. If He is telling me to step out, then He is the one responsible for the outcome.  When I succeed I don't prove my own faith. I prove His power. You know it's His voice you've been hearing. When you step out of the boat you are inviting Him to prove it!

You and I both know that safe is not faith. Faith isn't comfortable, but it does bring comfort. Stepping out is just the beginning of a walk that requires more than I've got. What I start with God's power I cannot complete in my own power. I have to keep relying on Him with every step. I need to keep telling myself: "Your calling is outside your comfort zone."

Can I encourage you with something that I've found to be true? When you step out of the boat and walk on the water you give others a reason to worship God. It really never is about you. It's always about the One who enables you.

When you step out and attempt to do something for God that you have been holding onto for a long time and have been too afraid and insecure to try, when you step outside your place of comfort and do the thing you think you cannot do, that thing that keeps echoing inside of you and won’t go away, then you allow God to prove His power in you. Your small faith taps into His big power. You walk on the water and others will say, “Truly He is God!” 

What is God asking you to step out in today? Isn't it time to get out of the boat and let God show His power in you?

Key Thought: Stepping out is not about the size of your faith, but the power of your God. 

A Scripture to consider: Matthew 14:22-32
"Then Peter called to him, 'Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.'
'Yes, come,” Jesus said.' "

A YES challenge: In what area is Jesus asking you to "step out of the boat?"

Prayer:
Lord, I know that You have been calling me to step outside my comfort zone. You have asked me to do something I feel incapable of accomplishing. Is it really You? I think of all the "what if's" and "I can'ts" but even so, my heart knows You are saying "Yes, come" You want me to come to You walking on the water. I don't know how You are going to make it happen, but I choose to step out of the boat and trust You to empower me to walk and prove it really is You! Amen. 

Your Adventure is Outside Your Comfort Zone

I'm one of those people who likes to have an inkling of the plan in advance. Some of you don't mind just going with the flow. In fact, you love NOT knowing what's going to happen. You are the kind of people more likely to be labeled adventurers than people like me. But even you have your limits, right? The truth is, our adventure, the one God has for us is ALWAYS going to be outside our comfort zone. Whatever your limits, your God-adventure is beyond those limits.

I've recently been reading about Moses. People who only know Moses from the movies (think Charlton Heston's trance-like return from the burning bush in The Ten Commandments ) .You may not realize that Moses was not too keen on the adventure God had for him. He really didn't want to leave Midian, go back to Egypt and be the agent of deliverance for God's people. Even after God assured him that He would be with him and provided Moses with miraculous signs to prove His presence, Moses had the gaul to tell God "Please send someone else!"(Exodus 4:13)

There have been plenty of times when I've been right there with Moses. The task in front of me is clear and it is obvious that this is the path that I am supposed to take, but everything in me is screaming "Please send someone else!" 

A few years ago I was serving as a pastor on staff at a church with a Christian school. I had worked in the public school for ten years in a support position, but had never aspired to be a teacher and had no training as a teacher. In fact, I had changed my major in college because I chose NOT to be a classroom teacher. When I was approached about taking over the 9th grade Bible class in the Christian school for the last quarter of the year, it was a Moses moment. I knew that God was asking me to do it, but I sure wished He would send someone else! 

The next few months were pretty difficult for me and the class but we made it through and the next year I had the opportunity to teach for the whole year. Some of my sweetest memories are of my 9th grade Bible class that year. They were a great group of kids and I discovered some things about myself that I wouldn't have found any other way. Like Moses, I found God's enabling enough, even in the face of my own insecurities and questions.

Are you facing a Moses moment right now? If not, it's just a matter of time. Don't beat yourself up for wishing God would send someone else when you know He's calling you. You're in good company. Eventually, God brought Moses to his YES. He'll do the same for you. 

Key Thought: Your God-adventure is outside your comfort zone.

A Scripture to consider: Isaiah 41:10

"So do not fear; for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will stregthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Prayer:

Lord, I know in my soul that You are calling me to step outside my comfort zone. You have more for me than I am experiencing right now, but I am truthfully afraid of what will happen if I step out. I know that You have promised me Your presence. Help me to accept that as enough. I want to live my God-adventure. I want to fulfill my unique mission on the earth. Help me to do it! Amen.

Where Will Your YES Take You?

So, who is planning your next trip? When my family takes a trip I am usually the one making the plan. I research and suggest the place and often make the reservations. Before GPS I would study maps and make a preliminary route plan. And, oh yeah, I also do most of the packing. By the time we head out the door I am usually exhausted and ready to just ride for a while.

One year we planned a family trip that included some good friends who were like family. They had been so generous to us that we wanted to bless them. I had done all the planning for a beach trip to Delaware. None of us had ever been there before and I felt responsible for making sure that everyone had a good time. The first night, after we traveled six hours, we were all tired and hungry as we began the search for a place to eat. I felt so stressed! What if we couldn't find a good place? It would be all MY fault! 

I realized that the way I was feeling was not what God wanted for me. Even though I had planned the trip, the outcome was up to God, not me. After a while we found a cute little place off the beaten path. It wasn't crowded like every other place we had passed and the food turned out to be terrific! Not only that, there were Scriptures posted on the wall...of a local restaurant! But the sign I remember most read: "Fast food isn't good. Good food isn't fast."  This past summer Tom and I went back to the same town and found the same place. That sign was the one that let me know we'd found it.

That whole experience helped me to learn that even though I make the plan, God is the one who guides the trip. I ended up in a place i hadn't planned and was blessed. That has happened time after time in my life as I have taken a step back, released control and given God my YES.

So...where will YOUR yes take YOU?  

Key Thought: If you want to fulfill God's purpose for your life, then you need to let Him plan the journey.

A Scripture to consider:

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

A YES challenge: Where do you need to just say YES and let God take you where He wants you to go?

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for trying to get You to follow my plan instead of saying yes to yours.  I've tried so hard to make my plans happen that I have often left you out of the picture. I have let my fear and pride crowd you out. I've kept my world safe so that I could feel like I am in control. Today I choose You and Your plan over my own. Take me where You want me to go. I am all Yours. Amen.

YES is Your Ticket

So, you've decided to be all in with God. You've given Him the BIG YES. What now? How do you get started in your unique mission? What does that YES look like now?

Something in me has always loved the idea of traveling. I even worked briefly as a travel agent back in my younger days because I was so attracted to the idea of exploring new places. Whether you travel by train or plane or bus, if there is more than one stop on your journey you need a new boarding pass or ticket for every part of your journey. Every pass opens the way to a new destination along the way toward your final destination.

I have had the opportunity to travel from New York to Nairobi, Kenya but to get to Nairobi I had to go through Amsterdam. If I didn't have my boarding pass in Amsterdam, I would never have made it to Nairobi. If I had never made it to Nairobi, then an important part of fulfilling my unique mission would not have taken place.

So, what does that have to do with the BIG YES and being all in with God? Your final destination is God's unique will for you, His plan and purpose for your life. In order to reach your final destination you are going to have many connecting destinations along the way. Every new connection needs another YES. Being all in means being ready to give God the next YES.

Whatever the challenge is that you are facing today I can guarantee you that hidden in that challenge is a YES that will be the ticket to the next destination on your journey. Every step toward your final destination, fulfilling your unique mission, will require another YES. Get your ticket ready!


Key thought: Fulfilling your unique mission happens YES by YES.

A Scripture to consider: "When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father's commandments and remain in his love." John 15:10 NLT

A YES challenge: Where is the YES in the challenge you are currently facing?

Prayer: Dear Lord, I really want to be all in with You. It would be so much easier if I could just say YES once and be on my way. I sometimes find the challenges I face overwhelming. I really do want to obey You today and everyday. Help me to continue to give you my YES so that I can stay on the right track toward fulfilling my unique mission from You. Amen.

The Big YES

What would you do if someone tapped you on the shoulder and said, "Listen, you have been chosen for a mission that no one else has ever undertaken. If you choose to accept it, you will spend every ounce of your physical body, emotional energy and public reputation.  Your life will no longer be your own. However, you will have the opportunity to be part of a plan that will alter the course of world history. Are you in?" 

Essentially, that is what happened to Mary, the mother of Jesus, when the angel Gabriel showed up and told her that she had been chosen as the mother of God's Son, the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. Mary had options. She could have said "No! It's gong to cost too much! I like my life the way it is." But instead she chose to give God the BIG YES: “ 'I am the Lord’s servant,' Mary answered. 'May your word to me be fulfilled.' " Mary acknowledged that her life was no longer her own. She gave God her YES and as a result fulfilled her unique mission and became a participant in God's plan on the earth. 

You have the same opportunity. God is tapping you on the shoulder right now. He is saying to you, "Listen, you have been chosen for a mission that no one else has ever undertaken. If you choose to accept it, you will spend every ounce of your physical body, emotional energy and public reputation.  Your life will no longer be your own. However, you will have the opportunity to be part of a plan that will alter the course of world history. Are you in?" Like Mary, you have the option of saying "no." You have the option of maintaining the life you have now, but you will be missing out on your unique mission, the adventure your heart is longing for.

I have found that my YES has opened the door to opportunities I never dreamed of. At times, it has cost more than I expected, but I wouldn't go back for anything in the world!

You have the opportunity to give God the BIG YES today. The BIG YES is the YES that guides all the others. The BIG YES is when we say to God, "I am all in! My life is yours. Do what You want with it!" It's a risk. You won't really know what's going to happen next, but it's only when you decide to be all in that your adventure can truly begin.

So...what'll it be? Are you in?

Key thought:  Discovering your adventurous purpose starts with giving God the BIG YES.

A Scripture to consider:  Luke 1:38

“ 'I am the Lord’s servant,' Mary answered. 'May your word to me be fulfilled.' "

A YES challenge: Are you willing to be all in with God?

Prayer:

Lord, I know that there are areas where I have been holding back from You. I've tried to maintain a safe, comfortable life, but I know that You have more for me. Today I choose to give you the BIG YES. I give you all I am just as Mary did. I am all in. I am your servant. Fulfill Your purpose in me. Amen.